The Link
by Mira Westing
Summary: The lines between good and evil are blurred when a Med-jai warrior marries an Englishwoman and Ardeth is forced to protect their children. The romance will came, wait for it. For Ardeth fansA bulk of the story will take place after the Mummy Returns but
1. Default Chapter

*Standard warnings. The characters you recognize, obviously, aren't mine. The ones you don't are. I'm not making money off of this (making it much like my job). I'm just having fun (Unlike my job). If you like it, hate it, whatever, drop me a line @ mirawesting@yahoo.com  
  
  
  
  
The Link  
By Mira Westing  
  
  
  
  
  
  
1925  
  
The wizened old man shook and shuttered, his entire body convulsing in waves as intense and random as his seemingly crazed ravings. Outside the large tent, people paused briefly to listen to the words of the mad man. But inside, the listening was much more focused. Three men, two sitting, one standing, all wearing head to toe black and marked with strange ancient tattoos, had watched the old man all through the night and half of the day waiting for something - anything - he said to connect with reality. The patience of the watchers was gradually wearing thin. They were warriors, inaction did not become them.  
  
One of the seated warriors, a handsome man of no more than twenty years, turned to his leader. "Ardeth how long will we wait?"  
  
Ardeth Bay, still young himself but the most patient of the trio. was leaning heavily against a tent pole, his head cocked thoughtfully to one side. He studied his third in command. Imam was a good soldier but needed a bit of seasoning before he'd be a great Med-jai. "We will wait as long as we must."  
  
The words of his leader should have silenced Imam but prudence, unfortunately, was one of the qualities time had yet to grant the young warrior. "Why should we believe anything this crazy vagrant says? He is not even of our tribe. We waste our time here."  
  
Before Ardeth cold formulate an appropriate reply, one simultaneously reproachful and tolerant, Hussam, the third of their number, broke in, "This man is a prophet. We disregarded his words when he predicted Imhotep's return. The mistake almost led to eternal damnation. We would not repeat such a folly."  
  
For all his shortcomings, Imam had great potential. He was a quick learner. If he had any further thoughts on the matter, he held his tongue.  
  
His discretion was fortunate as the prophet chose that exact moment to burst into another long string of gibberish. This time, however, his ranting was punctuated by one distinguishable word. Med-jai.  
  
Hussam and Imam both tensened. Ardeth took a step forward. "What about the Med-jai, Old Man?"  
  
The prophet's eyes were vacant yet he, or some higher power, answered Ardeth's question. "A great Med-jai warrior will marry a foreigner. A white woman."  
  
Ardeth raised his eyebrows. A Med-jai marry a white woman? Perhaps Imam was right and the old man was simply insane. The Med-jai did not even take brides from other tribes as was common among other desert people. Still, to not at least examine the possibility would be reckless of him. "This marriage concerns us how?"  
  
"Daughters."  
  
"Daughters?"  
  
"The power is within the girl child of this union."  
  
"What power?" Hussam prodded gently. "The power to raise the creature again?"  
  
The eruption of laughter that bubbled forth from the old man sent chills down Ardeth's spine. "That and more, my child. Much, much more."  
  
"More?" How much more was needed? How many times over would a person need to destroy the world?  
  
"It has been waiting."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"Good. Evil. It is not that easy, Young Bay." Suddenly, and for the first time, the old man looked up. Directly in Ardeth's eyes. "Her test is your test, Med-jai. And you will fail it. You will fail again."  
  
"Why tell me if the cause is already lost?" Fail 'again'? When had he failed. Imhotep was in his eternal grave. Defeated. That was no failure.  
  
Again, the look, so steady, so clear. "Pray that she is stronger."  
  
Two hours later, having said not one word more, the old man who's name Ardeth had never learned died in the Med-jai chief's tent. Ardeth sent Imam away with the body.  
  
"A Med-jai and a foreign woman?" Hussam's tone was measured. "How man white women have you even seen, Ardeth?"  
  
"In Cairo, many."  
  
"How man have you spoken with?"  
  
"Only one. Evelyn Carnahan."  
  
"And you have more contact with the outside world than any in our number." Hussam`` paused and took a measured breath. Ardeth had been his friend long before becoming his leader. If any man could question the Med-jai chief, it was Hussam. "Would *you* marry a white woman?"  
  
"Of course not." The answer required no thought, no hesitation.  
  
"Then perhaps Imam was correct and we should put little stock in this...prediction."  
  
Ardeth studied his oldest and closest friend and, slowly, nodded. "You are right. Let us keep his words in mind but not take them to heart." He paused. "No one need know of this."  
  
Hussam nodded and left his leader's tent. Outside the desert wind picked up and began to howl. It would be a busy night. Ardeth shrugged off the lingering feeling of unease, certainly a product of being identified so personally in the 'prophecy', and started for the tent flap. He was the leader of the Med-jai and duty called.   
  



	2. chapter one - before the beginning

Chapter 1 - Before the Beginning  
  
1925  
  
The day that her mother met Saeed El-Fadir, Audrey Criedne O'Reilly celebrated her ninth birthday. Although her mother and grandmother had tried valiantly to shield her from the unpleasant details, Audrey knew that her mother, Roslyn O'Reilly, was in Cairo because of Audrey's father's death. Connor O'Reilly had been the father of all seven of Roslyn's children but, since his death, very little had changed in Audrey's life. Her father had been, at best, on the periphery of her world. At worst, he had been her tormentor. Mostly, though, he had just been absent. Try as she might, the sincere little girl could feel no grief at her father's passing. His demise caused her no joy but she, in truth, gave it very little thought.  
  
Roslyn O'Reilly had traveled to Cairo in hopes of settling her late husband's affairs. At nine and as the youngest of the O'Reilly brood, even Audrey was aware of her family's wealth. They were not the richest family in Britain but they were certainly in the top twenty. It was a mixed blessing but, with seven children, it was a blessing which Roslyn meant to secure. Audrey would not know it for several years but her father had taken the greater bulk of the fortune with him to Egypt when he'd, more or less, settled there seven years previous.   
  
All of this matter not a bit to a little girl. What mattered to her, what would alter her life in more ways that anyone could have predicted, was that while her dear Mama was strolling through the Cairo Museum of Antiquity her first day in Egypt she bumped into, quite literally, the one man on the planet whom she was truly meant to love. When Roslyn returned to London three months later, she brought with her a new husband. A man with dark, foreign eyes, strange, frightening markings on his face and a quiet yet boundless strength. A man who caused such a scandal in good society that Audrey and her siblings were almost instantly ostracized to the point of sharing company exclusively with one another. The only man Audrey would ever call 'father'.  
  
********************  
  
1930  
  
Ardeth Bay handed off the reins of his horse and strode, purposefully, toward the door in the large marble facade of Saeed El-Fadir's new Cairo residence. Saeed had been Ardeth's father's most valued advisor. Ardeth had grown up at the older man's knee, learning to give as much weight to Saeed's wisdom as his own father's. When Ahmed Bay had died in his son's fourteenth year, there had even been talk of allowing Saeed to lead the Med-jai until Ardeth had reached a more suitable age. Saeed had declined the offer and chosen to serve instead as Ardeth's right hand. Ardeth most assuredly would have lost his rightful place as Med-jai chief were it not for Saeed's quite guidance. When Ardeth had reached 19, Saeed had taken himself off to Cairo to watch over the Med-jai interests there. The action had cemented Ardeth's place in his and all the tribes of the Med-jai.  
  
Now, in the position that Saeed had helped him aquire and maintain, it was Ardeth's duty to censure the elder tribesman. He'd avoided just such a confrontation for seven years because Saeed had kept his foreign wife and family in England. Now he had come back to Cairo.  
  
The door opened as Ardeth ascended the stairs to the expansive porch. A very proper-looking middle aged man stood in the entryway. "Mr. Bay?" Ardeth nodded. "Mr. Fadir expects you. Follow me."  
  
As elaborate as the outside of the house was, the furnishings were actually quite plain, functional. Ardeth followed the servant through the foyer, down a wide hall and into a large room at the back of the house. Obviously an office or study of some sort. Wood paneling, hundreds of books arranged carefully on shelves from floor to high ceiling, a large imported oak desk and several chairs and couches scattered around the room.  
  
Saeed sat behind the desk. A woman, the wife, Ardeth assumed, stood behind Saeed. She was pretty in an unusual, foreign way. Most men of his tribe would consider her too thin, too frail but Ardeth understood that this was the European standard to beauty. Her light brown hair was bound loosely at the nape of her neck and her green eyes surveyed her guest with a cautious warmth.  
  
"Mr. Bay, I am Roslyn. It is a honour to have you in my home." Ardeth inclined his head. He had hoped that this meeting would be limited to himself and Saeed. The presence of Mrs. El-Fadir complicated his strategy a bit. "Let me introduce you to my children. My tow oldest sons have stayed in England but the rest of us have heard so many stories about you we couldn't wait to meet you."  
  
As is on cue, five children ranging in age from fifteen to twenty-two entered the room. Ardeth bit back his automatic sigh of impatience. "This is Daniel." Ardeth shook the young man's hand. Daniel resembled his mother as did the eldest daughter, Regina. The next two daughters, Lindsey and Melanie, had their mother's chestnut hair but both were far taller and more sturdy than Roslyn. Like their mother, all three of the elder girls were very attractive, well dressed and poised.  
  
"And this is my youngest, Audrey." Ardeth, glad to be coming to the end of the introduction, aimed a measured smile at Audrey. This daughter looked nothing like the others. She was, by far, the shortest of the clan, the top of her falling at mid-chest level on Ardeth. Although she was still young and it was possible that she would gain height, Ardeth doubted it. Her form had already rounded into the unmistakable curves of a grown woman. Her hair bound tightly on the top of her head, was easily the most eye-catching thing about her - incredibly blonde, amazingly glossy. Ardeth had never seen anything like it - not necessarily beautiful, just unbelievable in its brilliance. What would it look like loose?  
  
That hair would have overwhelmed her face if the face itself weren't so unusual. Disarmingly pale skin, blue, blue eyes, a heart-shaped mouth. She looked fragile, too fragile for this place. Ardeth felt a pang of pity tug at his gut. As bad as Saeed's return to Egypt was for himself and the Med-jai, it was immeasurably worse for Audrey O'Reilly.  
  
The thought brought Ardeth back to his original reason for this visit. "Saeed," he started.  
  
Saeed held up his hand. "Ardeth, I believe, would like a moment alone with me, my family." Obediently, the entire welcoming committee shuffled out of the study.  
  
Once alone, Ardeth gave Saeed a moment to collect his thoughts. It was the least he owed the man. "If I did not know better, I would swear that was your father who stood before me. The resemblance is striking, Ardeth."  
  
"My mother often says the same." But Ardeth was in no mood for small talk. In a careful tone, he began, "Saeed-"  
  
"They are my family, Ardeth."  
  
"You are a Med-jai first." He took an aggressive stance, knowing his posture betrayed him but caring very little.  
  
"No, I am a man first. As you ought to be."  
  
The reproach, as kindly as it was, gave Ardeth pause. This was a sentiment he had heard often but never once from Saeed. If anyone understood Ardeth's reluctance to take a wife and start a family, it was the man before him. "I am the leader of the Med-jai."  
  
"You are a man who every night lays down to sleep alone." Saeed's tone softened further. "Ardeth, you have never truly known a woman's love."  
  
"You are wrong." The words were cold.  
  
Quietly, almost submissively, Saeed continued, "No, I am right. You have know grief but love alluded you." Standing behind his desk, Saeed radiated quiet knowledge. "You were married a mere ten months before the loss of your bride. You were seventeen and the marriage was arranged. I love you as I would my own son, had I been so blessed, but I have long known that you delude yourself into believing that the loss of your wife and unborn child is the reason behind your current lack of companionship."  
  
"I never want for companionship." The implied meaning of the words was not subtle. A Med-jai chief had no need to lack female attention when wanted.  
  
"Of course." Saeed nodded. "But the state of your heart saddens me, Ardeth. You are likely to find yourself old and alone when your duties to the Med-jai are done."  
  
"I will produce and heir."  
  
"Ah..." Again a nod. "Very...appropriate of you. You are too you to be so without passion."  
  
Not wishing to discuss the topic further, Ardeth returned to his planned subject. "It is not my passion that we must discuss."  
  
"They are my family. There is no discussion."  
  
"It is not that simple."  
  
"It is. They are of no concern to the Med-jai."  
  
Ardeth took a deep, calming breath. "They are, old friend. Unfortunately, they are."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"There was a prophecy."  
  
"I fail to see-"  
  
Ardeth raised his hands and Saeed ceased speaking. "We were told that a Med-jai warrior would marry a white woman. Their daughter or daughters will wake the creature and, perhaps, worse."  
  
"When was this prophecy?"  
  
"Seven years ago."  
  
"I've never heard of it."  
  
Ardeth nodded. "I thought nothing of it at the time."  
  
"Think nothing of it now. Roslyn and I will never have any children."  
  
"Do you not consider her children your own?"  
  
For the first time since the conversation's start, Saeed broke eye-contact. "Indeed, I do."  
  
"The prophecy was vague. The four daughters concern me."  
  
Finally, Saeed seemed to hear Ardeth's words. The older man sighed. "They are children, Ardeth. Spectacular only because they are mine. They exhibit no special abilities."  
  
"What is done is done, Saeed. But precautions must be taken."  
  
"Had I known of the prophecy...probably it would have changed nothing. But I did not know, Ardeth, and I cannot regret my marriage. I waited a very long time for happiness. Almost too long."  
  
"Now the Med-jai must protect your family."  
  
"I suppose so."  
  



	3. chapter two - motivations

Chapter Two - Motivations  
  
  
Audrey El-Fadir did not question her father's wisdom. When he had announced that the entire family would be relocating to Cairo, Regina and Lindsey had balked, throwing screaming fits and refusing to eat. Audrey had simply packed. Thus when Saeed decided to post a guard of ten Med-jai warriors in and around the house, Audrey had nodded, kissed her father, and resigned herself to living with a bevy of strangers. After two months she hardly noticed the Med-jai and longer. They rarely spoke and certainly not to her. Ardeth Bay, the handsome warrior she'd been introduced to that first week in Cairo seemed to be the de facto commander of the group. He was only at the El-Fadir home about half of the time but he had a greater access to the house and those in it than the other men.  
  
Ardeth, Audrey found quite fascinating. The tattoos that adorned his face were the same as her father's but where Saeed wore tailored European style suits and blazers, Ardeth was garbed exclusively in ethnic robes as dark as sin itself. He was silent a vigilant like the others but, somehow, his presence conveyed a deeper power, a more tangible danger. That was, Audrey supposed, why men so instinctively followed him.  
  
He was, in a word, magnetic.  
  
Audrey's sisters shared her opinion, if to a more limited degree.  
  
"Those eyes," Lindsey sighed happily. Sitting perched on the edge of Regina's bed, Lindsey looked older than her 18 years. The sisters had gathered, as they did every night, to talk, giggle and gossip in that irreverent sisterly way they had always shared. "I love the way he looks at me."  
  
Rolling her eyes, Audrey interjected, "Ardeth Bay almost always looks angry."  
  
Regina laughed knowingly, "You're such a child."  
  
"Actually, she's right." It was always that way: Regina and Lindsey on one side, Melanie quick to defend Audrey and vice versa.  
  
As usual, Lindsey did not let Melanie dissuade her. "I wonder what he must feel living in a house with so many unmarried white women."  
  
"Unlucky," Audrey ventured.  
  
"You don't know anything!" Regina enjoyed treating Audrey as if she were still in pig tails. Just so long as no one else tried the same thing.  
  
Audrey just rolled her eyes again. "I know that Mr. Bay has never ever looked at you or Lindsey in any way that wasn't completely dutiful."  
  
"But you, I suppose, he has."  
  
"No," Audrey admitted easily, "I don't believe he's ever looked at me at all."  
  
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While the El-Fadir girls engaged in verbal skirmishes over the width and berth of his intentions toward them, Ardeth Bay concentrated on not focusing on the seeming endlessness of his current task. The El-Fadirs were polite, discrete, appreciative, and utterly outside the realm of his understanding.  
  
Also weighing heavily on his mind was the conversation he'd had with Saeed that first day in the study. In a way, the old Med-jai had been right. Ardeth should have taken another wife by now, fathered a son. He was in his thirty-first year, he needed a son soon or the title of Med-jai chief would have to be passed on to another. Afterall, the child would have to have time to achieve maturity.  
  
The thought simply left him cold.  
  
Not the thought of children, so much. That idea he enjoyed - took comfort in. But the thought of taking another wife...Noura, his first wife, had grown up in the same tribe as Ardeth. He could not easily remember a time when he had not known her. Somewhere during his sixteenth year, Noura's father had started a dialogue with Ardeth's grand-father. Six months later, he and Noura were married. When Noura became pregnant almost immediately, the entire tribe had rejoiced. The tribe had rejoiced. Their young leader would have an heir far before his twentieth year.  
  
It was not to be. Complications during the seventh month of pregnancy had taken both Noura and the child before the year mark in their marriage. Noura had been fifteen.  
  
Ardeth could not say for sure that he had loved her. He had agreed to the marriage when his grand-father approached him because it seemed logical, dutiful. However, his heart had been empty since her death. His passion rested solely in his obligation to his people.  
  
Being inside the El-Fadir household forced Ardeth to face the fact that there were many facets in his life where a deep nothing lurked. There was a genuine sweetness in the way that Roslyn and her children related to one another. It was the kind of bond that Ardeth could not be said to share with another living being. Increasingly, he was beginning to realize that he might never share such closeness.  
  
His duties often kept him in Cairo but, even when he was in his village, he found very few moments for matters of a personal nature. Even if he did find time, his choice of women had dwindled over the years. When he was young, there had been several dozen young women who he had looked on favorably. . After Noura's death, the options had been even great - young women coming of age, women Ardeth's own age who had yet to become brides, and older widows of fallen warriors who were still of child-bearing years. But, after a prolonged mourning period, Ardeth found the marriageable women were few and far between.  
  
There were still many offers. Fathers would place the entire family fortune into a dowry in order to tempt the great Med-jai ruler. Over the last years, any time the elders gathered, Ardeth's bachlorhood was discussed and eligible women offered up. Beautiful girls of good breeding who would happily devote their live to his care and pleasure.  
  
Not one of them was a bit older than the youngest El-Fadir daughter.  
  
One day he would have to marry one of these perfectly acceptable girls and produce at least one son. Until then, he would stay in Cairo, perform the duty to which he was born and hope to find someone with whom he could share a measure of true warmth in marriage  
  



	4. chapter three - conversation

Chapter Three - Conversations  
  
  
The foreign nation population in Cairo was small enough that it was no surprise when Evelyn and Rick O'Connell became aquatinted with the El-Fadirs. Evy and the El-Fadir daughters were close enough in age that they came to spend a considerable amount of time together. For his part, Rick seemed heartened to find Ardeth so often in Cairo and in such close proximity to the El-Fadirs. Alex, for all the opinions of a six year old child mattered, became immediately and completely smitten with Audrey. Through their son, the O'Connell's, too, began to take an active interest in the girl. Evelyn, in particular, developed an attachment to the girl, even taking time out of her own schedule to tutor Audrey in Egyptian customs, social mores, and the like.  
  
As a result of Evy's influence, Audrey's confidence and interest in her new home grew in leaps and bounds. She came to respect the land and the people who inhabited it. Soon, her self-assurance reached a level where she was no longer wary of her Med-jai guards. Four months after their introduction, Audrey initiated her first conversation with Ardeth Bay.  
  
In the corridor outsider her room, one floor below where he slept while in Cairo, Audrey smiled at Ardeth. There was nothing particularly unusual in that as she, and all other occupants of the house, were always more than polite to Ardeth and his men. He started to walk on, forgoing an acknowledgment of her kindness, when he heard her voice call out behind him. "Mr. Bay?" He turned. "It's nice to see you have returned."  
  
"Thank you, Miss El-Fadir."  
  
Her smile widened. A nice smile, he supposed, if one stopped to consider it. "You are the only person who has ever called me that."  
  
"Would you prefer another name?" It was conceivable that Audrey had not taken her step-father's name when Saeed had married her mother. Ardeth had simply never given it much thought.  
  
"Yes. Call me Audrey, please. I'm fifteen. No one expects you to call me 'Miss.'" She clasped her hands behind her back and shifted from one foot to the other. The restless energy of youth.  
  
It was Ardeth's turn to smile - a measured smile. If she were a Med-jai woman, she would be considered an adult by now, with all the benefits and obligations of the title included. But her European society still treated her as a child. It was an intriguing contrast within her. Ardeth, himself, could not say which aspect he found to be most dominant in her. He knew too little of her. "Miss Audrey. Will that suffice?"  
  
"I suppose." Again he made move to return to his room and, again, her voice stopped him. "Where have you been?"  
  
"With my people. Seeing to some matters." Had he wanted to explain bandits and raiders to the girl, she would not have understood.  
  
"In the desert?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"How far from Cairo?"  
  
"Three days hard ride."  
  
Her eyes widened. "It must be difficult to be so far from home."  
  
"I have obligations here in Cairo."  
  
"Us," Audrey said quietly. "You must miss your family."  
  
"I am accustomed to being away from them." It was his duty and his privilege.  
  
"Do you have children?"  
  
"No."  
  
"A wife?"  
  
Ardeth forced his face to remain neutral. Her questions contained more than casual interest. How much more her could not say. "I am not yet married."  
  
"Well, I suppose that's fortuitous." For the first time since she'd cornered him, Audrey's gaze wavered. "I should take myself off to bed."  
  
Although the conversation had not actually been an annoyance, Ardeth was glad to see it come to an end. "Good night, Miss...Audrey."  
  
"Sweet dreams, Mr. Bay."  
  
  
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Audrey El-Fadir fell into her narrow bed feeling her cheeks ignite with a hot flame. She oughtn't have even tried to speak to Ardeth. He was not the sort of man who appreciated the attentions or opinions of a girl such as herself. Audrey's great mistake had been in assuming that Ardeth's similarities to her father extended beyond the obvious. They were both men of remarkable loyalty, honour and patience. They were both Med-jai.  
  
Nonetheless, Saeed's interminable fondness for and tolerance of his youngest daughter were not traits that Ardeth shared. He could not. Ardeth Bay had not the luxury of such frivolous emotion towards someone he come into contact with for the sole purpose of protecting. Ardeth Bay probably did not dislike Audrey in any especial way. He merely wanted to do his job and return to his people.  
  
She could hardly blame him.  
  
"Audrey?" The knock at the door was vaguely unexpected but not terrifically surprising.  
  
"Come in, Father," she called.  
  
Saeed popped his head into the room to find Audrey, still fully clothed, sitting in the middle of her bed, hugging her knees. "I thought you'd gone to sleep."  
  
"Not yet."  
  
Saeed resisted a smile. She was often that way - so conservative with words that she'd be utterly inscrutable if she weren't so easy to read. Her face was as open and honest as her heart. It was a quality that Saeed knew she loathed in herself. Nearly as much as he loved it. And her.  
  
"I came to check on you."  
  
"I'm well, Father. Yourself?"  
  
"Fine, fine." He took a seat at the foot of her bed. "Audrey, I have an important question to ask you and you must be honest with me." I will know if you're not, he added silently.  
  
"Sounds grim," she quipped with a lopsided grin.  
  
"No, just important." Saeed paused and drew in a deep breath. "Are you happy here in Cairo?"  
  
For a long moment, Audrey's face registered a thoughtful concentration. "Actually, yes, I do."  
  
"You do?"  
  
She nodded. "Yes. I find it odd from time to time and I don't suppose I'll ever completely understand Egypt or the people in it but I do have a lifetime to try." "I would hate to think that I'd brought you to a place where you could not find happiness. I realize this is all very foreign to you but your mother and I truly thought it was a wise decision."  
  
"Because you think we can find suitable husband here, right?"  
  
Saeed grimaced. He could wish that she weren't so asute an observer. "Yes, Audrey, that is part of the reason. It would be difficult for you girls in England. Not impossible, though."  
  
"No. I understand." And she, most likely, did. She had lived through the years of ridicule and segregation in school, at parties and anyplace that people gathered, really, for many years. It had been scandalous enough when Roslyn married so soon after her first husband's demise but who she married...It might have been acceptable for commoners but Roslyn's family money made her anything but common. That her children carried her foreign husband's name was frightful to her 'genteel' society.   
  
If the girls were to find husbands of any wealth or reputation, the best bet was to look within the foreign national population of Cairo. Men who chose to be in Egypt, be they scholars, adventurers, or simple businessmen, had already proven to be more open-minded than the typical British dandy. That fact combined with the family wealth and the abundant charms of the El-Fadir women boded well for the future.  
  
"Do you know what I find most odd?" Audrey inquired.  
  
"What?"  
  
"When Connor O'Reilly was alive, we would have had no difficulty procuring more than a sufficient number of suitors. Connor was a bounder of the highest calibre, more likely to rob you than look you in the eye. But by obtaining a father of unlimited integrity, no one will marry us." Cocking her head to one side, Audrey continued, "I don't suppose any of us would wish to marry a man who would base his life on such a unreasonable kind of logic."  
  
Saeed smiled again. She was wiser than, perhaps, she ought to be. Intelligence was not always prized in women. More than anything, Saeed hoped being in Cairo would allow Audrey to meet a man who would appreciate all of her gifts. Leaning forward, he kissed his daughter's forehead. "Thank you, my sweet."  
  
"May I, now, ask you a question?"  
  
"Certainly."  
  
A moment passed as she considered the exact wording of her inquiry. Saeed waited patiently. Better, he thought, to gauge your words than speak thoughtlessly and end up sounding the fool. "It is obvious, to me at least, that Mr. Bay does not wish to be here. Why does he remain?"  
  
"The Med-jai are an ancient people, Audrey. And in all the time that they have inhabited Egypt, they have served a great purpose. It is a heavy responsibility but also an enormous privilege. And some, such as Ardeth, shoulder both the burden and its rewards with remarkable strength of both body and character." It was not the answer she sought but it was all that Saeed had to offer her. It had been decided that his family would be better served by not knowing the exact purpose of the Med-jai in their home. Someday, perhaps...but not now.  
  
"Couldn't he send someone else?"  
  
"No one who could lead with such expertise." Saeed smiled though he felt an odd discomfort. "Besides, I don't believe Ardeth is as truly distressed as you seem to think."  
  
"I talked to him tonight, Father. He is not a happy man."  
  
As much as Saeed respected and loved Ardeth, he would rather the man kept a wide berth of Audrey. The girl was too easily impressed and Ardeth was nothing if not impressing. Saeed had known for awhile that Audrey harboured a school-girl's crush on the Med-jai leader. However, he had counted on Ardeth's aloof nature to counter the futile affection. "Audrey, Ardeth has never been what we would term a 'happy' man. He is his duty. There is no room for life outside that. Please, keep your interactions with him to a minimum, daughter." He did not wish to sound harsh but he would hate to see Audrey's heart broken and that was the only logical conclusion if her affections were to settle on Ardeth Bay.  
  
"Of course, Father."  
  
  
***********************************************  
  
Audrey's promise to her father, good intentioned as it was, lasted a little over twenty-four hours. To her credit, she did not go out in search of Ardeth. The problem was that he had to cross the threshold to her bedroom door in order to get to his own room. This placed him in her direct line of sight the next evening at approximately 10:45. After the previous evening's conversation, Audrey felt it would be rude to ignore him entirely. She smiled and inclined her head, intending to do no more than acknowledge his presence.  
  
Ardeth waylaid her plans. "Miss El-Fadir?"   
  
She decided not to quibble about what he called her. "Yes?"  
  
"Your father mentioned that you wish to visit the artist's bazarre."  
  
"Yes. I realize that some of your men will have to go w-"  
  
"I will have to accompany you, Miss El-Fadir. The bazarre is a very busy place and I would feel much safer if I, personally, saw to your safety. That said, I am leaving Cairo tomorrow for at least a week. You will have to postpone your visit." He was so used to giving orders that, even when he tried to sound more diplomatic, he came off authoritarian.  
  
Audrey shrugged off the implied lack of concern for her feelings and decided to be agreeable. "If you think it's necessary."  
  
"I do." He replied curtly.  
  
"I'm being very amiable, Mr. Bay. You could, at least, attempt the same. Yours, afterall, is not the only life being disrupted. You have the added incentive of knowing why you are here. I must merely trust the wisdom of my father and yourself." Her tone was soft and genuinely without anger. She did not wish him to think her unappreciative but, as it seemed they were stuck with one another for quite some time, Audrey could not have him treating her like milquetoast.  
  
"I did not mean to offend."  
  
Not exactly an apology but it would have to do. "You didn't offend me. It's just a bit...disconcerting to have no say whatsoever in the running of your own life."  
  
"I would imagine so." His word were not cold but they were far from warm. Audrey wondered ideally if he ever showed any kind of real emotion. Duty, honor, and authority were all fine things but certainly not the sum of a man. Not a great man. And Audrey was inclined to believe that Ardeth had it in him to be a great man.  
  
"You could not. Imagine such a life. No one would ever consider taking such liberties with you, Mr. Bay. Not even for the sake of your own safety, which is, I know, your motivation for assuming control of my decision making powers."  
  
For the first time, Ardeth seemed to truly contemplate something Audrey had said. "You are correct. I would not yield authority to anyone. But I do often take to heart the well-intentioned advice of those older a wiser than myself."  
  
"You'll excuse me," Audrey said in a tone just this side of sarcastic, "if I find that hard to imagine."  
  
"I wish to keep you from harm. Is that not enough?"  
  
Audrey shrugged. "You wouldn't even ask that question if I were a man."  
  
"You are not."  
  
"No, I'm not."  
  
***************************************************  
  



End file.
